The Hero’s Journey, Part 4

The Hero’s Journey, Part 4

We shall not cease from exploration

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time.[1]

Last week I speculated that the invitation for Jesus’ Hero’s Journey culminated in his baptism after what was likely many years of exposure to and engagement with deep, spiritual thinkers of both Eastern and Western thought. His initiation onto the journey occurred with his 40 days in the wilderness and the temptations. I feel it is important to understand that the stages in the Hero’s Journey are not necessarily well defined in terms of where one stage ends and another begins. They often overlap. They did for Jesus, and they do for us. What the stages share in common is that they mark general phases in our evolutionary change, and we all go through them as change occurs.

The third stage, the transformation, certainly occurs in one form or another throughout the change process. In Jesus, the transformation occurred most visibly as he gradually assumed his role as a healer, teacher, and part-time miracle worker. One interesting example occurs during the first miracle recorded in the gospel of John at a wedding in Cana. Jesus is there with some of his disciples, as is his mother. Mary tells Jesus the wedding party has run out of wine, as if knowing Jesus could fix the problem. Jesus basically says it’s not his problem and that “My hour has not yet come.”[2] It seems to me he knew what he was capable of but wasn’t sure about the timing of revealing it to others. After seemingly refusing to help, he turns water into wine and the wedding celebration continues.

The transformation does not so much occur when he gains his messianic skills but as he begins using them in the presence of others. He knows that his fame and influence will grow quickly and that the Roman and Jewish leaders will limit how long that is allowed to continue. It is interesting, particularly in the gospel of Mark, how often Jesus tells witnesses to his miracles not to tell anyone about them. It is as if he were trying to remain below the radar of those who would find him threatening to their status quo as long as possible. As he became less and less able to remain incognito with his knowledge and abilities, he became bolder and more public with his teaching and healing ministry, knowing it would hasten his transition to the final stage of his journey – his crucifixion and resurrection. As he gradually let go of his desire for anonymity he increasingly transformed into the Messiah we recognize today.

Jesus’ return to his home area near the Sea of Gallilee occurs after his resurrection when he makes numerous appearances to his disciples. His capture, trial, torture, and crucifixion occur as his phase of transformation leads him into the phase of returning home. The transition between the third and fourth phases is not always or even usually so painful and humiliating, but in Jesus’ case it was. The fact that Jesus returned as a changed being is clear in the post-crucifixion records in the gospels. He was not readily recognized by even his closest friends, he could walk through locked doors, and he could travel long distances seemingly instantly. Although he was the same essence as before, he was now free of the typical constraints of space and time.

I have given two extended examples of the Hero’s Journey over the past weeks: my marriage to Carrie, and Jesus’ final years. Not all Hero’s Journeys are so clear or dramatic – in fact, most are not. They are so mundane and common we usually ignore them. Each day is a Hero’s Journey of sorts, as it morphs from sunrise to day to night and back to sunrise, returning to where it began – only changed. The seasons of each year are a Hero’s Journey as are the phases of the moon. And our individual and collective lives are full on such journeys of change and transformation. At any given time in our lives we are likely in different stages of many different journeys of change like interlocking cogs in clock – all moving seemingly independently, yet all interconnected and moving toward the same end. We may submit to change willingly, or we may kick and scream along the way, but we will be changed. And the Hero’s Journey provides a helpful context that in spite of necessary times of discomfort, we will eventually return to something more familiar and comfortable. And when we do we will “know the place for the first time.”

Whether we look or feel heroic in the process, we will be drawn back into union with God and with each other, as was Jesus, along the Hero’s Journey.

This is the 47^th in a series titled Crucifying Christianity, Resurrecting the Way.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] T.S. Eliot, from Four Quartets

[2] John 2:1-11